LA MASÍA: PRESERVED HERITAGE AND RESPONSIBLE LEGACY

By Victoria Bassa Garrido, Head of Technical Consultancy, Monumenta – APCECC [email protected] / cell phone 639 573 447

1. - MONUMENTA

Monumenta, the Owners Association of Castles and Classed Building of Catalonia, founded in 1992, was born with the aim to create a common front among the owners of listed buildings to face the difficult task of preserving family heritage with guarantees, looking for maximum support from the responsible and supervisory agencies thereof. Nowadays it hosts and represents around 130 members in 200 listed buildings. It is open to all those owners in Catalonia with an exclusively private use of its building, those with an open business either continuously or not, opening for visits and activities, or those that may start a business to make it profitable.

Monumenta is a benchmark association in Catalonia to defend the preservation, maintenance and management of cultural heritage into private hands; it is, also, a representative institution that seeks dialogue and alternatives with the public administration to participate in future legislation which may affect the architectural heritage and its legacy to future generations.

Monumenta has generated a lobby with the objective of creating a private brand of quality to link up not only with the administration but also with the business sector, mainly the area related to tourism. The association is a benchmark for owners in the advisory services they might receive in economic, legal, tax, technical conservation and restoration, management and business activities, related to their buildings.

As a Catalan association, Monumenta is member part of the main European organization of historic buildings, the European Historic Houses based in Brussels. This platform allows a direct participation in the problems and solutions raised from this central body, taking part in issues and decisions concerning, among others, the approval of European technical regulations for new application, and its effect on heritage buildings. Monumenta regularly participates in the annual Assembly held in different European cities.

The current activity of the association is reinforced by the different agreements with other institutions related with both public and private cultural heritage. Attendance at fairs and conferences as well as the events organized by the association itself as seminars, conferences and publications are used to inform members and, at the same time, are open to the participation of other entities who share common interests. The presence since last year, in social networks has enabled wide coverage, and the offer of activities and organized visits to buildings of members and non-members, is a key to promote and raise awareness of the heritage in general and the one of Monumenta in particular.

Monumenta is also committed towards next owners generation to help them get involved and be familiar on the responsibility of family legacy and heritage conservation that later on will assume, unifying criteria and sharing experiences with young owners of other countries through `the European association.

This is a complicated path of responsibility and decision-making that is moving in most cases to completely necessary alternative ways to guarantee the maintenance of revenues from the heritage building itself, either with a professionalized cultural management of visits and timely use events, either opening hotels or other tourism businesses, always taking into account the nature of the building and its surroundings.

2. - RURAL TOURISM IN CATALONIA

Rural tourism and agro tourism are a clear commitment to the development of tourism in rural towns of inland and mountain Catalonia, and contribute to enhance other leisure and parallel activities. The existence of a housing offer fully integrated into the landscape and not overcrowded makes it compatible with those theses that opt for sustainable development that respects the environment. Many rural tourism establishments are clear examples of the architecture of the site and contribute to the preservation of rural heritage through the enhancement of built spaces that were obsolete following the agrarian crisis.

The regulation of rural tourism by the Regional Administration has been key during the initial phases of creation and growing supply, and has established basic criteria that set standards and performance requirements of the accommodations. Meanwhile, associations and local authorities (councils) are active in the field of marketing and promotion of rural tourism, and one of its priorities revolves around the issue of quality in tourism services rendered. The existence of a Confederation of Rural Tourism Establishments in Catalonia is an important milestone that must contribute to better coordinate the actions of internal and external communication, optimize resources, both human and material, to standardize quality criteria, and has helped the current “espigas” classification of these establishments according to regulations of the Generalitat.

The dynamism that shows this offer in Catalonia has increased the supply of rural tourism and agro tourism in all regions of both inland and mountain. Growth has been territorially asymmetric and the largest volume of establishments and places are in northern Catalonia. The sector is now showing signs of certain stagnation after achieving high standards in creating new offer.

REGULATION OF RURAL TOURISM OFFER

In Spain, accommodation in rural tourism and agro tourism is regulated by Regional Governments. Catalonia, in 1983, was pioneering in regulate this new type of offer. The name for it was “residència-casa de pages”, (Decree 365/1983 of August 4), added to the other existing forms of housing (boarding houses and campsites). Thereafter Rural tourism had a new legal framework in which to grow and expand. The basic features of these accommodations, which stay until today, are, first, to be located in rural areas, outside or inside villages of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, second, be integrated into existing buildings above 1950 and respecting the architectural style of the area, third, have a minimum capacity of 4 people and a maximum of 15, and, finally, not be located in apartments considered as independent homes in a building of several floors under condominiums.

The tourism policy was updated in 1995 with Decree 214/1995 of 27 June, and the most significant change was the introduction of three different types of accommodation: the “masia”, the village house and the independent rural accommodation (ARIO), according to the location of the house (alone or within a nucleus), and depending if the rental is for rooms or for the whole house. The Tourism Law 13/2002 of 21 June, adopted by the Catalan Parliament in 2002, provides a new amendment to the regulations, and establishes rural tourism as new denomination, providing the classification into two groups, farmhouses and rural tourism establishments, where the holder must be a professional farmer getting the incomes from farming, cattle or woods, and, where users can learn the characteristics of farming activities; and, second, the rural accommodation, where its holder does not have to obtain incomes from the estate, but must live in the same region or property, depending on the type.

This new classification allows to clearly distinguishing the agro tourism offer from the rest of rural tourism. 2006 Decree came into effect on 25 July 313/2006 establishing the classification into two groups, farmhouses and rural accommodation, and introducing some changes in the names of modalities, which will be as follows for the two groups:

 Masia: Single Family house outside the nucleus, shared by the holder and users, providing accommodation on a room and, at least, breakfast.  Masoveria: Detached house, outside the settlement, rented in rural housing regime.  Shared village house: Family house in the centre village, shared by the holder and users, providing accommodation on a room and, at least, breakfast.  Independent village house: Family house in centre village, where the accommodation service in rural housing regime is provided.

From the nineties rural tourism goes off and starts an uninterrupted growth in number of establishments and capacity, accentuated from 2000, with a maximum growth within 2001 and 2006. In five years the offer doubles. From the beginning of 2007, a slowdown in the growth of supply is detected. In absolute figures Catalonia goes from 109 establishments in 1990 to 1,777 with a capacity of 13,629 users at the end of 2007. During this period we can say that Catalonia experienced an explosion of rural tourism as a result of the first phase of growth of a new product, unknown to most Catalans. The current census of Catalonia in late 2013 set at 2,236 the number of establishments and 17,685 the number of users.

Decree 183/2010 adopted by the Catalan Parliament in 2010, compiling mainly the characteristics and regulatory requirements laid down by this type of tourist accommodation, reflects a philosophy of tourism based on regional proximity and authenticity of supply, a fact which requires to ensure personal attention and a direct and close relationship between the individual owner of the establishment and clientele. Finally it is approved, and currently in force, Decree 159/2012 of November 20, on tourist accommodation establishments and homes for tourist use, where several modifications are made regulating rural tourism, which aim remove barriers to activity, while maintaining the inherent characteristics of this type of tourist accommodation, based on proximity and authenticity of the offer, which undertakes to ensure personalized attention and a direct and close relationship between the holder and the users. It also limits the operation to a maximum number of places from all types, since this measure is necessary to ensure a close and direct relationship with the individual Site holder. The innovations introduced in the regulation affecting the target of facilitating access and development of this activity are the reduction of minimum capacity requirements, the possibility that legal persons can be holders of rural accommodation, that there may be rural tourist accommodation in villages of less than 2,000 inhabitants, and that in “masoverias” and independent houses, the elimination of the requirement that the holder has to be registered at least three years in order to get access to activity.

3. - ADAPTING A “MAS” TO RURAL ACCOMODATION

APPROACH TO El BAIX PENEDES: THE MUNICIPALITY OF ALBINYANA AND LES PECES

The Baix Penedès, located in the centre of the Catalan coast, is one of the four smaller regions of Catalonia with 14 municipalities: Albinyana, Arboç, Banyeres del Penedès, Bellvei, the Bisbal del Penedès, Bonastre, Calafell, Cunit, Llorenç del Penedès, Masllorenç, the Montmell, Sant Jaume dels Domenys, Santa Oliva and El Vendrell, the capital of the region. The local population is concentrated in Vendrell and other coastal towns like Calafell and Cunit. The three municipalities with populations above 10,000 inhabitants gather up to 73% of the regional population.

The economic sectors of the region have changed since the 60s, agriculture experienced a very intense slope that was confirmed in the 70’s. The major crop is the vineyard. For the production value and its impact on other economic sectors, is also one of the core activities, not only in the primary sector but also on the local economy. Out of the vineyard, agricultural production of Baix Penedès is quite small and weak on local economy.

Tourism has been one of the main economic activities of the region, mostly for second residences. The presence of hotels and campsites is quite small and virtually concentrated in three municipalities of the coastal strip, Calafell, Cunit and El Vendrell, especially in the Coma-ruga area.

Tourism has affected in different ways over the region giving dynamism to economy, putting strong pressure on the use of land with the prevalence of the type of single family homes and the impact that this implies in municipal infrastructure (occupancy of these houses a limited number of days per year) which forces the maintenance of services and equipment with high costs for local councils. This sector continues to expand very strong in the coastal area, although at present has slowed due to the crisis in building sector.

Albinyana is located to the west of Baix Penedès, spread in two parts: Albinyana, in the upper part, and Les Peces, on the plain. Albinyana, with historical references dating from year 1011, with three castles referred in medieval documents, the chapel of Sant Antoni and the parish church, documented since the late XI century.

Les Peces is currently the major component of the municipality of Albinyana with a population of about 680 inhabitants, increased in the decade 1990-2000, along with other villages in the region, up to a 100%, due to the rise of a residential summer area which produced an increase of the population to six times the usual. There are two buildings of considerable antiquity to be noted in the centre, Cal Gener and Cal Miró.

CAL GENER: A MASIA TRANSFORMED IN RURAL HOUSING

Historical and architectural description

Cal Gener or “la Casa Gran de Les Peces” is a clear example of a two bodies farmhouse built on medieval remains of the XIII-XIV centuries. Remodelled, first, in 1698, and then in 1778, both dates carved on two lintels of the main facade windows.

I. Old image of Cal Gener in the nineteenth century

II. Current image of Cal Gener main facade

A magnificent stone arch, buttress attached to the façade, provides access to this “casa pairal”, three stories high.On the ground floor, with a very traditional architectural typology, the “masovers” used to live, farming and taking care of the property. Architecturally, we highlight the large circular cube to crush the grapes, the original cellar with an underground cube, covered with glazed pieces, to keep the wine, the kitchen with the fire on the ground like originally, and a one piece stone sink to wash clothes with ashes. There is, also, a chapel with unrestored original frescos that might be of XVII-XVIII century, former oratory of the village, before the Sacred Heart Church (1880) was built.

III. Image of the ground floor oratory with frescoes

IV. Image of the stone sink in the kitchen V. Image of the cellar

The first floor, or main floor, where the owners used to live, has four bedrooms two of them with arcades decorated with plaster frames from the eighteenth century. The central room has magnificent windows and balconies to the main facade, a kitchen and a smaller dining room for daily use.

VI. Image of one of main bedrooms VII. Image of the small dining room

VIII. Image of the noble or main floor of the house

On the second floor we find the barn, with a small veranda of arched openings, where the original silos for storing the crop during the winter are still preserved.

IX. Image of an area of the dormer on the second floor

A distinguishing feature of this “masia” is the wonderful sgraffito work of the main façade with a detailed iconography of the period, with characters and geometric patterns of great beauty. Divided in three areas, the central strip has the most interesting iconographic representation with five different frames dividing the space, floral ornamentation, astrological motifs as a star, the sun, the moon and a face representing the wind, all topped by a fabulous sundial. Four figures, dressed in French style clothing, decorate the façade along with a soldier from the light infantry volunteer corps of Catalonia, which represents Antoni Gener Minister of Real Incomes, person related with the owners of the house. The openings of windows and balconies are of cut stone with carved lintels in different motifs as a Maltese cross. The façade was restored in 1984 under the direction of architect Joan Puig who made a great task of recovering the original drawings, and, again, played on a sgraffito made by master Jaume Amat, disciple of Ferdinandus Serra, author of the sgraffito in “Casa dels Velers” in Barcelona, among others.

X. Image of the sundial in the sgrafito façade

XI. Image of the entrance door with voussoirs XII. Image of old sgraffito recovered

Cal Gener is included in the historic-artistic buildings catalogue of “Normes Subsidiàries de Planejament” of the municipality of Albinyana.

Adaptation of the house to rural accommodation

La “masia” Cal Gener throughout the centuries was linked only to the agricultural world, and so proves its architectural interior disposition, perfectly preserved. The fall of the agricultural sector, preceded by extreme situations like filoloxera attack, arisen in Penedès in 1895, along with other serious events as the great cholera epidemic, caused a complete devastation in the area as well as migrations within Catalonia. The subsequent industrial development and the departure of the youth to the capital encouraged a gradual change in mentality and way of life. Cal Gener grew from a farmhouse on the edge of the village, surrounded by farmland, to the current “casa pairal” integrated in the urban population. Cal Gener changed ownership several times throughout the twentieth century. His last and current owner, with family and territorial ties in the environment bought it in 1982. The house was untouched as long as it had not suffered any intervention changing its configuration in the inside, and had some lack of maintenance on the sgraffito façade unrestored. From the first day the new owners started an intense architectural restoration, while agricultural activity was carried out with a family production focused mainly on vineyard, olive and fruit trees.

In 1998 Cal Gener becomes a private member of APCECC (the Owners Association of Castles and Classed Building of Catalonia) with the will to work together with other partners to ensure the architectural heritage. To ensure preservation and maintenance in optimal conditions, Cal Gener finally bet to start a business of rural accommodation and, automatically, becomes a professional member of Monumenta.

In 2002 the procedures start under the Tourism Law 13/2002 of 21 June, in order to participate in the section of rural accommodation, in which the owner does not have to obtain any incomes from farming, cattle or woods, but must live in the same region or property, in the form of shared village house. Cal Gener was one of the first rural establishments that were opened in the Baix Penedes region.

The architectural adaptation was minimal as the spaces were well sized and natural lighting, being able finally to offer four bedrooms located on the main floor of the house. The original recovery of the ground floor spaces and dormers allowed supplementing the rural housing service with a House-Museum visit so that users complement their stay with a guided tour to learn, first-hand from the owner, how rural life was in a house where owners and “masovers” shared the day.

4- BALANCE OF THE BUSINESS OF RURAL TOURISM AND HERITAGE FUTURE

Since 2002, year of the opening of the rural housing, business has been fluctuating in a variable way, showing a significant decline during the last years of crisis. Alternative options have been evaluated such as renting spaces of the house punctually for local administration and associations, meetings or private celebrations. The return obtained over the years has helped the basic building maintenance, and, as the owner first residence, it has allowed such maintenance in regular basis and continuously, but without the possibility of undertaking major investments that would permit the conversion of the house as small and exclusive hotel. The owner of Cal Gener has spent the last thirty years in maintaining this heritage in perfect condition, with absolute dedication and care. The next generation will get this cultural legacy with a great responsibility to preserve and maintain, at least, the heritage with the same respect and dedication of the previous generation. It is, therefore, essential to pass on to future generations, the passion for the conservation of a heritage deeply rooted in the family land, involving them from the start, not only in the knowledge of family history itself, but, also, in the management and administration tools of this heritage, for the day they have to make decisions, do so safely, knowledge of and responsibility.

XIII. Images of the ground floor dining room XIV. Image of the interior staircase of the house

5.- CONCLUSION

Cal Gener, as “masia” with a history of over 300 years, has been able to maintain and adapt to the changes inherent of modern times, and this has been possible only by the action and will of their owners who believed and worked to ensure and maintain this legacy without losing the spirit of it. This spirit is what makes us think that all heritage, architectural in this case, has to be strengthened and, especially, our domestic architecture, so present and rooted in the country, which needs to be raised at the highest level of cultural heritage.

Monumenta works to value this heritage and presents itself as an umbrella to help, guide and lead all those and, particularly, the owners, in this difficult task, and, as an association still has a long way to go, with prospects for the future full of enthusiasm, thanks to the team who devote their time on a voluntary basis to make it so, and as long as necessary.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(1) VILA MARC-AURELI. “La casa rural a Catalunya. Casas aisladas y casas de pueblo”. Ediciones 62.198 (2) Instituto de Estudios del Penedés. “Informe descriptivo de la comarca del Bajo Penedés”. (3) NIN I VIDAL XAVIER. “Los nombres de les casas de Albiñana y de las Peces”. Ediciones Cossetània 2002.

(4) GENERALITAT DE CATALUÑA. “Plan territorial del Campo de Tarragona. Aprobación definitiva”. Apartado 3.2.3 El Bajo Penedés.

(5) GONZALEZ, MONER, RIPOLL. “La Masia Catalana. Evolución, arquitectura y restauración”. Centre de investigación de historia cultural. Ediciones Brau 2005